TY - VIDEO
DB - /z-wcorg/
DP - http://worldcat.org
ID - 57264842
LA - The Belasco Project was an educational program in Shakespeare for New York City public school students and teachers founded by Joseph Papp in collaboration with the Board of Education and with the Shubert Organization, which provided the Belasco Theatre rent-free. During the mid-1980s, plays such as Macbeth, As you like it and Romeo and Juliet were performed by a multi-racial cast for over 100,000 junior and senior high school students, teachers and parents. The program included discussion sessions between actors and students, held in classrooms and the theater.
T1 - In the classrooms Kevin Kline and Joseph Papp discuss Hamlet
AU - Kline, Kevin.
AU - Papp, Joseph.
AU - New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater.
AU - Belasco Project.
CY - New York
Y1 - 1986///
AB - Tape contains two discussion sessions on Shakespeare's Hamlet conducted with New York City high school students. In the first (ca. 49 min.) actor Kevin Kline discusses his experiences playing Hamlet, currently at the New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater, his views on Hamlet's moral character and its development during the play and the passion and revenge of Hamlet. Discussion topics include views on the character of Ophelia; Hamlet's high standards and eventual disillusionment; Shakespeare's genius; Hamlet's modesty and sense of virtue; revenge as virtuous; Hamlet's sanity; what Hamlet learns; the variety of ways to play Hamlet and to interpret the play; Hamlet's philosopy on life and views of mankind; Shakespeare's use of language to express an idea; the challenges the play presents for actors; and Kline's changing views of Hamlet. Producer/director Joseph Papp adds his views, including Shakespeare's ambiguity, the contradictions inherent in the Hamlet character; using Shakespeare's words to understand the play; and his view that Shakespeare wants audiences to like Hamlet. The second discussion (ca. 50:00 to 67:00) which is lead by Papp includes the virtues of the work Hamlet and benefits of reading the play, how Shakespearean roles have been acted historically; and understanding and interpreting Shakespearean texts, including discussion on Hamlet's soliloquy. The remainder of the tape (ca. 68:00-75:00) contains interviews with students who discuss their experiences with Shakespeare and their reactions to Papp.
ER -